Effectiveness of a pneumonia clinical pathway: quality and financial outcomes.
In today's health care environment, it is imperative to evaluate planned changes within a health care system. We report the outcomes of a study on the effectiveness of a pneumonia clinical pathway. Important elements of effectiveness studies are discussed and used in presenting study findings. These findings are a preliminary demonstration that clinical pathways can improve patient and process outcomes. Their relation to financial outcomes is less clear.
Phillips
K F
KF
Columbia Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Crain
H C
HC
D000368:Aged; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D019091:Critical Pathways / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000628:therapy*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results